Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery is a 'full cast' radio play, lasting four hours. The Bryant and May series by Christopher Fowler is narrated by Tim Goodman, Devil's Peak by Saul Reichlin and The Darkness and the Deep & Lying Dead by Cathleen McCarron.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Happy Christmas to Euro Crime's web and blog visitors and a big thank you to the contributors who've made the review section what it is now. In the New Year I'll have the top Euro Crime reads as chosen by the reviewers.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The late Magdalen Nabb wrote fourteen Marshal Guarnaccia books which were published over eighteen years, the last being published posthumously in 2008. The first in the series, which introduced the Florentine detective, was Death of an Englishman:

Publisher's blurb: Introducing Marshal Salvatore Guarnaccia of the Florentine carabinieri, a Sicilian stationed far from home. He wants to go south for Christmas to spend the holiday with his family, but he is laid up with the 'flu. At this awkward moment, the death of a retired Englishman is reported. Who has shot Mr Langley-Smythe in the back? And why has Scotland Yard felt it appropriate to send two detectives, one of whom speaks no Italian, to 'help' the marshal and his colleagues with their enquiries? Most importantly for the marshal, ever the Italian, will he be able to solve the crime sufficiently quickly for him to be able to join his family over the holiday season?

Monday, December 22, 2008

I mentioned recently that there was a Harry Potter Cluedo but I didn't know that Cluedo has also gone all Hollywood in the guise of Cluedo Reinvention:

The mystery you love to solve again and again is even more intense in this super gripping version! Cluedo is back with a modern twist : a soiree at a millionaire mogul's mansion turned deadly, and you must find out who is responsible for murdering the host... There's no Revolver or Billiard Room this time but could it have been Scarlet with The Barbell in The Spa? Open up the tabloid-style instructions to get the scoop on the updated rooms, weapons, and guests. A deck of Intrigue Cards adds suspense to your gamewith cards that can help you solve the crime faster or result in a second victim! Narrow down which rumours are true and which are just hearsay... Get caught up in the scandal of the century! For 3 to 6 players.

Wikipedia has more on the new rooms, weapons, cards and character name changes.

I was alerted to this version by an article in the Guardian, written by Kate Summerscale, which also outlines the ideas behind the original version and how the creator (from Birmingham!) made some money until the patent ran out.

According to Digital Spy, the BBC are to make a 1 hour Sherlock Holmes drama, set in modern day, with Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock and Martin Freeman as Holmes (and Rupert Graves will be in it!):

The BBC has announced Sherlock, a contemporary remake of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous literary creation.

Stuart A Life Backwards actor Benedict Cumberbatch will take on the role of Baker Street sleuth Sherlock Holmes, with The Office's Martin Freeman playing his loyal sidekick Doctor John Watson. Rupert Graves is also among the cast as Inspector Lestrade, while Professor Moriarty is expected to appear as the story's antagonist.

The 60-minute one-off was devised by Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis while travelling to Cardiff to work on Doctor Who.

"Everything that matters about Holmes and Watson is the same. Conan Doyle's original stories were never about frock coats and gas light; they're about brilliant detection, dreadful villains and blood-curdling crimes - and frankly, the hell with the crinoline," said Moffat.

"Other detectives have cases, Sherlock Holmes has adventures and that's what matters."

Gattis added: "The fact that Steven, myself and millions of others are still addicted to Conan Doyle's brilliant stories is testament to their indestructibility. They're as vital, lurid, thrilling and wonderful as they ever were.

"It's a dream come true to be making a new TV series and in Benedict and Martin we have the perfect Holmes and Watson for our time."

Amanda Brown reviews the latest in the witty DI Bill Slider series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles - Game Over;

Terry Halligan reviews the twelth John Rawlings mystery by Deryn Lake: Death in Hellfire

and Maxine Clarke reviews the sixth in the Martin Beck series by Sjowall and Wahloo - Murder at the Savoy which is to the same high standard as the earlier five.

Previous reviews can be found in the review archive and forthcoming titles can be found here plus for those thinking about their favourite books of 2008, there's a list (generated from my database) of British/European crime novels (written by British/Europeans) published in the UK in 2008, here. (I haven't yet updated it to include non-Europeans writing about Europe).

Friday, December 19, 2008

Adrian Muller, co-organiser of CrimeFest and non-voting chair of the CWA/Duncan Lawrie International Dagger Award has reported on the DorothyL list that Telegraph crime critic and International Dagger judge, Susanna Yager has passed away. I will update this post with more details as I have them.

Going back over the Atlantic for book six in this year's series of Christmas Reads. I thought a little sunshine might be in order after the recent cold snap we've had in the UK. Holidays are Murder by Charlotte Douglas is the second in the series, after Pelican Bay, which features Florida based Detective Maggie Skerritt.

Publisher's blurb:

The holidays - don't you just love them?

Been overstressed at work? Ever wish the holidays would go on an extended vacation? Worried about finding the perfect gift? Or had unresolved conflicts with family that drive you up the wall? Detective Maggie Skerritt is every woman who's been there, done that. She also excels at her work, doesn't eat right or get enough sleep and loves someone else doing her cooking. But her job is murder and she strives to make her city safe. In the process, she gathers her courage to risk loving again. But first she has to make it through Christmas...and another murder in Pelican Bay.

Holidays Are Murder is currently available for £1.99 plus P&P from the mills and boon website (and the usual sources). My library stocks Pelican Bay (but not Holidays are Murder) and it's currently on loan, so I hope to try that next year when it's been returned.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) — Majel Barrett Roddenberry, the widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, has died. She was 76. Roddenberry, an actress who appeared in numerous Star Trek TV shows and movies, died Thursday of leukemia at her home in Bel-Air, Calif., her representative said.

At Roddenberry's side were family friends and her only son, Eugene Roddenberry Jr. Gene Roddenberry died in 1991.

Her romance with Roddenberry earned her the title The First Lady of Star Trek. A fixture in the Star Trek franchise, her roles included Nurse Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek, Lwaxana Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the voice of the USS Enterprise computer in almost every spinoff of the 1966 cult series. She recently reprised the voice role in the upcoming Star Trek film directed by J.J. Abrams.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Author Lisa Appignanesi was born in Poland, grew up in Paris and the province of Quebec and now (I believe) lives here in the UK. The Dead of Winter was published here in 1999.

Publisher's blurb: A deranged assassin has gunned down fourteen women students in Montreal. Celebrated Actress, Madeleine Blais, is haunted by a sense that somewhere out there, where her filmed image roams so freely, someone is determined to kill her too. Her old friend and lawyer, Pierre Rousseau can do nothing to shift her growing despair. So when on Christmas morning she is found hanging in a barn close to her grandmother's cottage in the small Laurentian town of Ste-Anne, the obvious verdict is that Madeleine's depression has driven her to suicide. Only her grandmother's unshakeable belief in Madeleine's love of life induces the police to launch a murder investigation, in which Pierre, with secrets of his own to hide, takes a leading role.

I haven't read this book but one of the reviews says that it will appeal to fans of The Secret History by Donna Tartt (which I loved).

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Digital Spy has an interview with Torchwood producer Peter Bennett about next year's series:

What's the plotline of this series?"It's different to every other year. It's not a story about spaceships, but it's about a government that did a deal with aliens back in the '60s, and they're now dealing with the consequences of that deal when the sins of their past come back to haunt them."

What was the thinking behind switching to doing a five-episode serial?"Having done 26 standalone stories, we kind of wanted to take this series to another level and by making it one story over five nights, we feel we've done that. It's big, it's epic, and it's very different."

The Times has an interview with Rupert Penry-Jones which touches on Spooks and Whitechapel. On Whitechapel:

As for Whitechapel, he plays a policeman hunting a murderer who has a Jack the Ripper fixation. Hasn’t he had enough of this sort of stuff?

“After Spooks, the idea of playing a policeman didn’t thrill me,” he admits. “But when I read the script, I wanted to know what happened at the end. This character is different [from Adam]. He’s got a lot of flaws, he’s a bit strange, he’s not your obvious hero. It’s still a good guy catching a bad guy, but I couldn’t walk away from it.”

The third title this year has nothing to do with euro crime, except that the title, Fleece Navidad, (which I'd been scratching my head over for ages) is a pun on the Spanish for Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad.

Regular readers may know that I have a penchant for US cozies. I also dabble in knitting so Maggie Sefton's knitting mysteries are a perfect way to relax and they encourage me to pick up my needles. I've read the first two, Knit One, Kill Two and Needled to Death so far, Fleece Navidad is the sixth and latest. They are real cozy reads which revolve around the characters (including a dog) and the beautiful setting, more than the plot.

Publisher's Synopsis: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas for the knitters of Fort Connor, Colorado, who are furiously working on their holiday projects. Juliet, the town's "little brown wren" librarian, is known for her beautiful handmade Christmas capes, and she has extra reason to be joyful this year—she's in love. But as soon as she finds happiness, death finds her.

Suspicion falls on a newcomer to the knitting group, but Kelly Flynn and the rest of the crew aren't convinced of this person's guilt. It's up to them to separate the true lion from the lambs—before someone else gets fleeced...

and Maxine Clarke reviews the newest in Michael Walters' Mongolian series, The Outcast.

Previous reviews can be found in the review archive and forthcoming titles can be found here plus for those thinking about their favourite books of 2008, there's a list (generated from my database) of British/European crime novels (written by British/Europeans) published in the UK in 2008, here. (I haven't yet updated it to include non-Europeans writing about Europe).

Saturday, December 13, 2008

I just wanted to briefly mention the abridged audio book of Wooden Heart by Martin Day.

The narration by Adjoa Andoh (who plays Martha's mum in the show) is absolutely superb and her Martha is extremely similar to Freema Agyeman's portrayal. The Doctor is a bit subdued but she captures his fast pace of speaking to a T.

In brief, the Doctor and Martha land on a deserted space-ship, one that looks like a former prison but whilst exploring, they open a door which leads into a forest where there are animals and an inhabited village. How can this village exist? When the Doctor and Martha get separated, the Doctor has to keep the 'village world' alive before Martha disappears forever.

The story-line for Wooden Heart is one of the more straightforward ones I've come across and it makes a pleasant change for me to understand it completely (almost). Irrespective of the story though, this one's worth listening to for the narration alone. (I do feel it could be quite scary in parts for a young listener.)

Friday, December 12, 2008

This is not the most uplifting of reads but is set over the Christmas period. Read the Euro Crime reviews, here, here and here.

Publisher's blurb: Detective Erlendur encounters memories of his troubled past in this gripping and award-winning continuation of the "Reykjavik Murder Mysteries". At a grand Reykjavik hotel the doorman has been repeatedly stabbed in the dingy basement room he called home. It is only a few days before Christmas and he was preparing to appear as Santa Claus at a children's party. The manager tries to keep the murder under wraps. A glum detective taking up residence in his hotel and an intrusive murder investigation are not what he needs. As Erlendur quietly surveys the cast of grotesques who populate the hotel, the web of malice, greed and corruption that lies beneath its surface reveals itself. Everyone has something to hide. But most shocking is the childhood secret of the dead man who, many years before, was the most famous child singer in the country: it turns out to be a brush with stardom which would ultimately cost him everything. As Christmas Day approaches Erlendur must delve deeply into the past to find the man's killer. "Voices" is a tense, atmospheric and disturbing novel from one of Europe's greatest crime writers.

Simon Winder, Publishing Director at Penguin Press, has bought five "remarkable and prescient" Eric Ambler thrillers, to be republished as Penguin Modern Classics in May 2009 for Ambler’s centenary. The titles are Journey into Fear, introduction by Norman Stone, Epitaph for a Spy, introduction by James Fenton, The Mask of Dimitrios, introduction by Mark Mazower, Cause for Alarm, introduction by John Preston, and Uncommon Danger, which is introduced by Thomas Jones.

Ambler wrote these novels in the 1930s, as the clouds of war gathered, and he is often credited as being the "inventor" of the spy thriller. The five books retain a remarkable sense of the dread and terror that engulfed Europe in those years.

To Old Street Publishing, Gary Dexter's THE OXFORD DESPOILER (March 2009), recounting a series of adventures that befall a rather unusual Holmes and Watson - sexological Victorian detectives Henry St Liver and Olive Salter. Old Street described the novel as: "pitch-perfect fiction debut that manages to send up the Victorian detective genre at the same time as delivering absolutely compelling mysteries".

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Digital Spy has an interview with Ashes to Ashes producer Beth Willis which begins:

The storyline with Alex and her parents found its resolution at the end of the last series. Is there a new mystery to see us through this series?

"Yes there is. Alex had a lot of certainty last time: as soon as she landed in 1981 she knew she was there for a reason , which was to see her parents. At the end of the series, she realised that that wasn't why she was there. It wasn't about saving [her parents] or stopping what happened because as far as she's aware, you can't change things in this world. It was actually about learning something about herself. In series two she starts off with a lot more uncertainty. It's been about six or seven months since we left her - it's now 1982 - and nothing's happened for a long time. But in episode one she gets news which alters her view of what's going on in 2008 and what's happened to her. And she also gets some news in 1982 which makes her think this world is not as straightforward as she thought it was!"

Yes, it's that time of the year when I mention some crime books with a Christmas setting. You can see the selection from the previous two years - tagged as Christmas Reads.

First up is C S Challinor's debut - Christmas is Murder which was published in September 2008 in the US.

Publisher's Synopsis: Christmas in the English countryside — what could be more charming? Not even a blizzard can keep Rex Graves away from Swanmere Manor, a historic hotel in East Sussex. But instead of Christmas cheer, the red-haired Scottish barrister finds a dead guest. Was it a stroke that killed old Mr. Lawry? Or an almond tart laced with poison?

When more guests die, all hopes for a jolly holiday are dashed. Worst of all, the remote mansion is buried under beastly snow. No one can leave. Confined with a killer, no one can enjoy their tea without suspicion and scrutiny. Rex takes it upon himself to solve the mystery, but the most intriguing evidence — a burnt biography of President George W. Bush — offers few clues. Could the killer be the sherry-swilling handyman? The gay antiques dealer with a biting wit? The quarreling newlyweds? Surely, it's not Helen D'arcy, the lovely lass Rex seems to be falling for . . .

Each volume in the new Rex Graves Mystery series will feature a unique, exotic setting and diverse characters from around the globe.

The Dead Side of the Mike, Simon Brett's sixth Charles Paris novel, is being serialised on Radio 4, beginning this morning. The first of four parts, is on at 11.30am with Bill Nighy reprising his role as failed actor, Charles. The second part follows a week later.

(Fazio & Montalbano)Drama based on the series of books featuring the Sicilian detective, Inspector Montalbano. A young Don Juan is found murdered in front of his apartment building and an elderly couple are reported missing after an excursion to the ancient site of Tindari.

They seem two unrelated cases for Inspector Montalbano, but when he discovers that the couple and the man lived in the same building his investigation stumbles on to Sicily's brutal 'New Mafia', which leads him down a path full of evil.

Montalbano's Croquettes: When the chairman of a public works company and his young wife are found dead in their car in a ditch, the immediate conclusion is an accident. However, the fact that the woman's fingernails are broken leads Montalbano to suspect that things are not as they seem and that they have been murdered.

Also, for those thinking about their favourite books of 2008, there's a list (generated from my database) of British/European crime novels (written by British/Europeans) published in the UK in 2008, here. (I haven't yet updated it to include non-Europeans writing about Europe).

Sunday, December 07, 2008

The Italian crime mosaic Gomorra (Gomorrah) was the big winner at the 2008 European Film Awards (EFAs). The film, directed by Matteo Garrone, was crowned Best European Film and also won EFAs in the categories Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Cinematography. Actor Toni Servillo was named Best European Actor for his work in Gomorra and in Paolo Sorrentino's Il Divo, a biopic of Italian politician Giulio Andreotti. Kristin Scott Thomas won the Best European Actress category for her portrayal of a Franco-British woman released from prison in Philippe Claudel's Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (I've Loved You So Long). The 21st edition of the European Film Awards were held in Copenhagen on Saturday.

Friday, December 05, 2008

The North Pole has Ice Station Zebra and The Thing. Antarctica has Greg Rucka's graphic novel about US Marshall Carrie Stetko, out solving murders in the most desolate continent on earth.

Read 'Whiteout' (Oni Press)

(Whiteout is being made into a film starring Kate Beckinsale (US release - Sep 09))

I've just received a proof of Robert Masello's Blood and Ice (US Feb 09, UK Mar 09) which spans time, genre and locations but seems to include a significant chunk of time/plot in Antarctica:

Publisher's synopsis:

Troubled journalist Michael Wilde takes on a commission to write a feature about a remote research station deep in the frozen beauty of Antarctica. On a diving expedition in the polar sea he discovers two bodies encased in ice. The pair, a man and a woman chained together, their dress from the nineteenth-century, are brought to the surface - along with a trunk containing a strange, but sinister cargo. As the ice around them begins to thaw, the mystery of these time-bound lovers begins to unravel.Michael is gradually drawn into a horrific story that starts in the London barracks in the 1850s and leads to the bloody battlefields of the Crimea and the tragic Charge of the Light Brigade. Now, in the Antarctic wastes, the Cavalry officer and his lover are reawakened into a world where the midnight sun lasts for months, where there's nowhere to hide and no place left for the living to run...In this chilling supernatural thriller, spanning five continents and several centuries, Robert Masello weaves together an extraordinary tale of eternal life and undying love. Gripping and intensely moving, "Blood and Ice" will take its readers on an enthralling, and unforgettable journey.

Good news for Spooks fans. An eighth series has been ordered. From Digital Spy:

Spy drama Spooks will return for an eighth series, the BBC has today confirmed.

The show, which will wrap up its current run next Monday, has regularly secured ratings of over 5.7 million for the broadcaster.

Executive producer Simon Crawford Collins said: "Spooks is currently enjoying an exceptional run on BBC One and BBC Three and viewers will be shocked when this series ends with a sting in its tale.

"As for next year... we're currently working with our fantastic team of writers to predict the big stories for 2009 to keep Spooks' prescience in these dramatically changing times."

Richard Armitage, who stars as Lucas North in the espionage show, added: "I'm thrilled with the response we've had to this series and I can't wait to find out what the next series has in store.

"If the climatic episodes at the end of series seven are anything to go by, I think series eight will be spectacular. I am excited about taking Lucas into deeper and more dangerous territory, and seeing if he can survive!"

Series eight of Spooks will begin production next March and debut on BBC One later in 2009.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Jonathan Cape has paid a six-figure sum for the rights of two books in a trilogy by debut author, Claire Letemendia. Dan Franklin at Jonathan Cape purchased UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada from McClelland & Stewart, in a six-figure, pre-emptive offer.

The first book is titled Best of Men and Jonathan Cape is planning to publish it in July 2009. The trilogy is set during the British Civil War in Europe and England, where a nobly born mercenary, spy and cardsharp uncovers a plot to kill Charles I.

Monday, December 01, 2008

A couple of hours after I mentioned that Yrsa Sigurdardottir will be appearing at both of the major crime conventions in the UK next year, the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival announce more of the authors attending in 2009:

The Festival will get off to a pacy start with the announcement of the recipient of the hotly contested Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award. Afterwards you'll have the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the weekend's starry cast of criminally-inclined characters, as authors and crime fans mingle at the Festival Opening Party.

The plot thickens as we delve into the very roots of the crime genre with The Raven and The Rue Morgue, a panel celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of the mysterious man hailed as the father of the modern detective story, Edgar Allan Poe. Peter James, Laura Lippman, Andrew Taylor and Martin Walker will be helping chair Barry Forshaw tackle the man behind the myth.

Setting the mood, Music To Murder By will take a look at the use of music in crime fiction. Can it become a character in itself, or is it merely an easy way to convey an atmosphere? John Harvey, Dreda Say Mitchell, Cathi Unsworth and Martyn Waites are among the admirers of classical, jazz, reggae and punk rock discussing what their favourite sounds bring to their work.

Adding a touch of glamour to proceedings, Harrogate meets Hollywood in the panel Shoot The Book. Film critic Barry Norman addresses the different disciplines of writing for page and screen with the aid of tinsel town screenwriters-turned-novelists, David Levien (whose writing credits include Ocean's 13, Rounders, and Runaway Jury) and Daniel Depp (co-writer of The Brave with his brother Johnny), Spooks writer and author Neil Cross and author of acclaimed novels adapted for television, Frances Fyfield.

Providing a twist in the tale, Dangerous Dykes will ask why do lesbians make such successful crime writers? Four of the best gay women novelists, Val McDermid, Natasha Cooper, Stella Duffy and Manda Scott, discuss the pros, the cons and the controversial aspects of their work.

Shocking denouements come courtesy of a new late night cabaret event, Secrets and Lies in which host Mark Billingham encourages some of your favourite crime writers to confess their innermost secrets - but are they telling the truth or just creating yet more works of fiction? You have to decide.

Icelandic author, Yrsa Sigurdardottir is not only attending CrimeFest (Bristol, 14-17 May 2009) but her publicist has confirmed that Yrsa will also be attending the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival (23-26 Jul 2009).

Yrsa's second Thora Gudmundsdottir book, My Soul To Take will be released in April 09.

Synopsis from amazon.co.uk:

The child started crying harder, trying desperately to stifle her sobs. This wasn’t right. Why couldn’t God just come and get her now, if He was so good? Why did she have to go down into that dark pit? She was afraid of the dark, and this was a bad place – her mother had told her so. The girl looked at the man and knew she was going down there whether she wanted to or not.

A grisly murder is committed at a health resort situated in a recently renovated farmhouse, which turns out to be notorious for being haunted. Attorney Thora Gudmundsdottir is called upon by the owner of the resort - the prime suspect in the case - to represent him. Her investigations uncover some very disturbing occurrences at the farm decades earlier – things that have never before seen the light of day…

MY SOUL TO TAKE is a chilling, dark and witty crime novel, and a welcome return for Thora, the heroine of the highly-acclaimed LAST RITUALS.

Read the euro crime review of the first in the series, Last Rituals, here.